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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Gluten Free Challenge - 1 month

We had guests in our B&B at the end of last month who had a gluten intolerance.  As they were here for a week, I had to explore some breakfast alternatives while at the same time not serving the same thing day in and day out.

During that time I decided to read these books:

Cooking for Isaiah

Wheat Belly

to get a handle on gluten free cooking that would not only impress our guests but my family.  Dr. Davis, the author of Wheat Belly gives a convincing argument that our wheat diet contributes to a host of problems for us.  After finishing the book, I convinced my husband and son (both of whom I suspect may have wheat intolerance) that we should give it a try for one month.  Game on!

We are just passing the 2 week mark and my son has noticed a significant difference in how he feels after he eats.

I want to share with you a couple of recipes that my family is still raving about:

Firstly - the best lasagna my husband has even eaten (his words):

Butternut Squash Gluten Free Lasagne  (modified from www.finecooking.com)

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash (about 3 lbs) halved lengthwise and seeded
2 medium cloves of garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or dried)
5 tbsp butter
2 sprigs fresh sage
1/4 cup cornstarch (could use flour if non-gluten issues)
3 cups milk
1 cup romano cheese (plus some for top layer)
1 cup  grated 1% mozzarella cheese (plus some grated for top layer)
1 bag Kraft 4 cheese Italian cheese (used for cheese sauce and top layer)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 box gluten-free rice lasagne noodles.

1.  Roast the squash and garlic.  Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Put 1 garlic clove and thyme in each cavity and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.   Cook until squash is tender.  Cool.  In bowl, mash the squash and garlic.  Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Cook rice lasagne noodles according to package directions.  Rinse with cold water and set aside.

3.  Melt butter in saucepan and add sage sprigs to flavour the butter until fragrant (2-3 minutes).  Discard sage.  Add the cornstarch and milk to make a cheese sauce, whisking until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.  Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and mix the rest with the mashed squash.

4.  Spread 1/2 cup of the reserved cheese sauce over the bottom of a 9x13x3 lasagne baking dish.  Begin layering - noodles on top of sauce, squash, cheese sauce, noodles, etc.  ending with noodles.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese blend and bake covered for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Remove the foil and bake until the top is browned slightly and bubbly.  Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Watch for more recipes!

Until next time,
Mavis


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